Rev. Douglas Small 's
Dedication of Bartlett Window
Worthington July 25, 1999
This article appeared in the Hampshire Gazette April 5, 1887:
"We have sad intelligence to report this week, for "Our
holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised Thee,
is burned up with fire and all our pleasant things are
laid waste." This prophecy of Isaiah, uttered more than
2500 years ago, was verified last Saturday by the
destruction of the congregational church edifice in
Worthington by fire.
"A fire had been built by the sexton to warm the church,
at about 11:00 o'clock A. M., for the funeral service of
Mrs. Polly Burr, that was to be held at 2:00 pm. In a
little while he returned to replenish the fire, when he
discovered that a part of one of the stoves had fallen in
and the building was on fire. He did his utmost to
extinguish the flames, but it appears that the fire had
reached the ceiling and was running up the steeple, which
was soon enveloped in flames. The wind was blowing a gale
at the time and as there was no hope of saving the house,
a rush was made, as soon as help arrived, to save the
church furniture. As no one dared to enter the room at the
regular entrance, as the bell was directly over it and
liable to fall at any moment, a window was crushed in and
George Russell entered and merely succeeded in saving the
large Bible and hymn book, then seized the marble top
table and dragged it a little way, but the suffocating
smoke overcame him and he was compelled to abandon it and
escape for his life. The communion service was kept at
Mrs. Russell Bartlett's and thus saved. All else was
destroyed, bell, organ, chandelier, lamps, clock, desk,
Sunday school library, tables, chairs, hymns and Sunday
school singing books.
"There was an insurance of $7000 on the building which
will partly cover the loss. The church was built in 1825
and thoroughly repaired and remodeled in 1870 and in 1876
the steeple was repaired and the house repainted and a new
bell put in, and was considered the most beautifully
designed and attractive house of worship on the hills of
Western Hampshire county.
"A few sad worshipers gathered last Sunday at the town
hall, opposite where the church stood and a solemn and
impressive service was conducted by Deacon L.F. Stevens
(as the pastor was absent on his vacation) and a sermon
was read from the text found in Jeremiah l2:5. Regular
services will be held in the town hall for the present."
As you look around you at the gorgeous windows of this
sanctuary, you see the names of the men and woman who were
the giants of their time, who rebuilt this church.
When Frederick Sargeant Huntington returned to his parish
to find his church burned to the ground, he called upon
the people he knew could get the job of rebuilding done.
The cornerstone of the new building was laid on August 3,
1887, only four months after the building burned. The
dedication of the new building, which is this current
structure took place May 6, 1888, only 13 months after the
fire. (Record unclear, could have been May 23, 1888)
The names of the people who accomplished this remarkable
feat read like the primer of Worthington history. The
building committee was Dwight Stone, William A. Rice and
E.S. Burr. The furnishing committee was Aaron Stevens,
Mrs. Nancy Heacock, and Mrs. E.li. Stevens. The Foundation
Committee was J.H., Eager, Henry Benton, and Charles
Thrasher.
But when it came time to do the really difficult things,
like raise the money, Frederick Sargeant Huntington shared
that responsibility with Elizabeth Hewitt and Horace
Bartlett.
If I had to take a guess, I would guess that Horace F.
Bartlett was a back room kind of a guy. When things had to
be done quickly, quietly, and persuasively, the ministers
of this church over a span of 29 years, turned to the
abilities of Horace Bartlett.
On July 27, 1913 an informal meeting was held after
church. Under consideration was a possible merger with the
South Worthington Church. Horace Bartlett and Clement
Burr were assigned the task of communicating with Russell
H. Conwell regarding his plans for the church.
Over the period he was a Deacon, the good folks of
Worthington must have been, particularly hard on their
clergy, because it seemed a search committee was nearly
always in session: Horace F. Bartlett served on many of
them.
So here's the way I see it: Today we dedicate a window
that honors the "can do" spirit of a man and his wife. He
was a farmer, a basketmaker who learned to make a basket
from the Indians and who built a business that employed 16
people 110 years ago, who sold baskets in exchange for
gloves in exchange for money. And we honor his wife who
put up with him although at times she must have felt that
she was going to be traded or sold.
Today we dedicate a window in honor of a man and his wife
who bought and sold eight pieces of property, was an ice
cutter, a wood cutter, a lumber cutter, worked on roads,
build bridges, drove a stage coach, and transplanted fir
trees.
And we honor his wife who stood by him, and was willing to
get up in the morning at 4:00AM to do the wash for 20
guests, then prepare breakfast for the family and farm
hands by 6:00 AM, then prepare breakfast for those 20
guests by 8:00 AM, then get about the business of the day.
Today we dedicate this window to the memory of a man who
was Just as comfortable helping to make the delicate,
quiet decisions that keep a church running as he was
picking up a fiddle and dancing a jig. And we honor the
memory of a woman who stood by him in what must have been
an endless siege of Bartlett practical Jokes, and stories,
and good hearted insults, and wise cracks so sharp there
can be no response.
On behalf of everyone in this church, I say to all you
Bartletts who made this window possible, thank you. By
your placing this window here, Horace and Caroline
Bartlett have truly come home. In a most profound sense,
they have taken their place in a hall of giants.